San Bernadino Mitsubishi - Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. - Chrysler Motors LLC Silence Is Golden For some Yet Hell For Others San Bernardino California

On 1/14/02 just before dark I walked into San Bernadino Mitsubishi to buy a Sports Car and man was I taken for a Fast and Furious ride that has finally come to a stop approximately 72 months later.

(On a lighter note I sent them a very nasty e-mail letting them know of all the bitterness I have held inside due to the fact I was not told the truth, Yes I know I should have held myself to a higher standard but after reading this story many of you will understand...)

Please read on...

Before I went to the dealer on that fateful day I did all the research I could on the various other cars on the market Chevy, Pontiac and Dodge and so I settled on a 99 Non Turbo Eclipse GS with a so-called OZ Package rims, huge spoiler, leather, electric windows etc...

While at the dealer I took it for a test drive just after dark with a nice lady named Rosy and all seemed OK the power was low on take off as with most small 4 cylinder engines so I decided hay I can add a turbo at a later date what the heck it looked and handled like a little Sports Car worth thousands more wide and low as a sports car should be.

After I got back from the test drive I was just chatting it up with the Manager (No offence to the people of Japan) A Japanese guy who's teeth needed work big time! Sorry but I cannot recall his name but anyway I told this guy before I signed the papers I plan to add an after market turbo after it's paid off...Silence from his lips shot right passed my ears!!!!

And so we haggled for a low interest rate and I wound up focusing upon that and that alone and settled for get this a 72 month contract at 10.5% interest for a grand total of $27,161.52!!! Well with a great looking car that I tried to get the manager to let go for 16,000 but I let him get the upper hand and keep the price at $17,390.00 (He charged me extra for a stereo that crackled when the heater was on high.) I thought still a car that I could turbo at a later date cannot be all bad...Boy was I wrong!

After the deal was sealed Rosy followed me to my company's drop yard in my pre-owned 99 non turbo eclipse I took her back to the dealership I went back to my truck and went to sleep with a silly grin on my face.


After waking the next day I took it for my Mother to see and she saw that my little car had dry rotted tires!!! Ooh K! So after weeks and months of searching the net for a CARB legal (California Air Resources Board) approved turbo I found None!!! Not one turbo that was sold for the Mitsubishi engine that turned out to be a Chrysler engine!!! This engine is called the 420a hp rated at 140 to the crank and the automatic transmission called the A06 also made by Chrysler was installed in many of Mitsu/Chrysler's cars and I did not know that these two companies had decided to build cars together and so I wound up with a Dodge Neon in Drag!!!

The difference in the Neon and the Mitsu/Eagle's is the Neon is the motor is installed the other way.

(Note: Chrysler nor Dodge is stamped on the valve cover in the eclipse.)

Before I forget I did take it back some months later to the Manager as it was and said hay how about a trade up to a 2000GT eclipse he looked at me and those dry rotted tires and said "Keep it and put equity into it".

Now by now I know I did not have much time before the value slipped down even farther and so I tried other car companies only it was no good the trade in value slid so far down the whole I could see Satin himself and the economy slid down the same whole at the same time so freight was too slow I had to file Chapter 7 to keep what little I had including the eclipse.

One of my reasons for posting this is just a lesson to those of you young hard working teenagers that live in California and it's st rick smog laws, Please Don't waste your time buying a Non Turbo eclipse in any year with the hopes and dreams of adding a turbo legally like you can do to many Honda's and Toyota's because you may get caught and the fines are not cheap.

(Note as of the date of writing this message I have not seen a late model eclipse RS/GS after market turbo that has been manufactured to meet California and it's strick laws so please check around there are many manufactures who design new stuff everyday.)

I also wrote this post to serve as a lesson to those of you who are in the market for a sports car and don't do a lot and I mean a lot of research because it can mean a lot of money and or time invested in paying it off wasted.

Many of these cars like the one I have produces an illusion of more power than it really has because many are wide and low to the ground, here's a few tips so you don't get taken for a ride like I did...

Most motors with a manual transmissions lose approximately 15% of it''s power before it hits the ground internal friction of all parts heat etc...Most automatics lose around 20% these are peak ratings under load they both lose far more.

To give ya an idea of mines I have a rating 140 so I'm down to 112hp peak but under load approx 95 hp by the time all power gets to the ground.

CARB was another issue I mentioned to add an after market part in the state of California the part has to be submitted to the state for testing so that is another knife in my back.

According to one company I called and the person I spoke with said they tried very hard to manufacture a turbo for the 420a for sale in California and could not get it to pass the smog tail pipe test so they gave up.

Many of you that are reading this are wondering why I don't just trade it in for the (Turbo Version) 99 GST? Not such a good idea because many of those had crank-walk at about 60,000 miles and Mitsubishi would not fix them so many owners had to get their motors rebuilt right out their own pocket, So looking on the bright side thank God I did not by the turbo version from jump street.

I had many many days where I cried, lost sleep, could not focus on my job and almost lost my job all because a man kept his mouth shut and did not tell me the truth.

I cannot see any option money wise that would be fair to both San Bernardino Mitsubishi and myself in this matter because I don't want any of my money back and I will not just throw 72 months of my life and or payments down the whole nor will I spend the rest of my life chasing down illusions of power....

Here's my heart felt message's to you people who are extremely high up in all 3 of these companies....

San Bernardino Mitsubishi. You Mr. Manager (What ever your name was) should have told me the truth.

http://www.sanbernardinomitsubishi.com/

Mitsubishi Motors of North America, Inc. You Mr. CEO could have manufactured an after market turbo to meet California's smog rules.

http://www.mitsucars.com/MMNA/jsp/index.do

Chrysler Motors LLC You should have at least put your company's name inside the manual and or stamped the Chrysler name upon the valve cover.

http://www.dodge.com/en/

Most of all, Can any of you C.E.O.'s and or Managers at least be a man and come to this site and apologize to me???

I'm a man with pride and honer and so I don't want to speak to any of you, I don't want any of your money (you can keep what you deceived from me) nor do I want any of your cars I just want a public apology so that at least some of this bitterness that I feel in my heart can go away and I can have some closure after 72 months and I'm sure there are others who also feel the same as I do....

All that glitters
Los Angeles, California
U.S.A.